Adults can handle a nosy GP – it's children that need protecting from the PC brigade

Follow the author of this article

Follow the topics within this article

Doctors will ask all patients to state their sexualityCredit:
Julian Claxton/Alamy

Even in our so-called enlightened times, asking someone whether or not they are gay still doesn't seem to be quite cricket. Perhaps it 's the circumspect nature of the British character. Or the fact that for many it smacks of seaside postcard prurience.

Whatever the reason, according to my own robust investigation – well, a straw poll amongst a group of friends – there still seems to be something unnecessarily intrusive about making a direct enquiry about someone 's sexual orientation. After all, a person 's private life is essentially that – private.

What's more, further aspects of my empirical research – same set of friends, different question – came to the conclusion that members of the LGBTQ...